NLU Odisha Invites Submissions For CPAJ Newsletter Volume IV

NLUO follows an interdisciplinary approach to legal education by combining law with subjects such as social sciences, management, and public policy. The university encourages students to participate in moot court competitions, legal aid programmes, research projects, internships, and academic conferences to develop practical and analytical skills alongside classroom learning.

The university campus provides academic and residential facilities, including a library, hostels, classrooms, and spaces for extracurricular activities. NLUO also houses research centres that focus on different areas of law and policy, supporting academic research and public engagement. Through its academic programmes and institutional activities, the university aims to prepare graduates for careers in litigation, corporate law, judicial services, academia, public policy, and other legal professions while promoting ethical and socially responsible legal practice.

The Centre for Poverty and Access to Justice (CPAJ) is dedicated to improving access to justice for individuals and communities who face social, economic, or institutional disadvantages. The Centre undertakes research, legal awareness programmes, policy advocacy, capacity-building initiatives, and collaborations with governmental and non-governmental organisations to identify and address barriers that prevent people from effectively accessing legal remedies. Its work focuses on strengthening legal institutions, promoting rights awareness, and developing practical solutions that make the justice system more inclusive and responsive to vulnerable populations.

The Centre for Poverty and Access to Justice (CPAJ), National Law University Odisha, invites original and unpublished submissions for its Newsletter. The Newsletter aims to provide a platform for students, researchers, academicians, legal practitioners, and policy professionals to engage with contemporary issues concerning poverty, inequality, access to justice, and socio-economic rights through concise and insightful legal scholarship.

The Centre seeks to cover themes including, but not limited to, the following. Authors are encouraged to advance related or novel lines of inquiry:

1. Poverty and Constitutional Rights

2. Access to Justice in India: Challenges and Reforms

3. Legal Aid and the Role of Institutions

4. Marginalised Communities and Social Justice

5. Gender, Poverty, and Law

6. Labour Rights, Informal Employment, and Social Security

7. Digital Inclusion, Technology, and Access to Justice

8. Environmental Justice and Climate-Induced Poverty

9. Housing Rights, Homelessness, and Urban Poverty

10. Healthcare, Public Welfare, and the Right to Health

11. Education and Equal Opportunity

12. Child Rights and Juvenile Justice

13. Disability Rights and Inclusive Justice

14. Tribal Rights and Forest Governance

15. Migration, Displacement, and Human Rights

16. Contemporary Judicial Developments Relating to Poverty and Access to Justice

1. Articles

900 -1000 words

Articles should present a well-researched and analytical discussion of a legal, policy, or socio-economic issue.

2. Case Comments

750 - 900 words

Critical analyses of recent judicial pronouncements concerning poverty, human rights, welfare legislation, or access to justice.

3. Legislative or Policy Reviews

800- 900 words

Reviews of recent statutes, bills, government policies, or reports impacting vulnerable communities.

4. Opinion/Commentary

700- 800 words

Short analytical pieces on contemporary issues, reforms, or emerging developments.

The word limit is exclusive of footnotes.

- Main Body- Font: Times New Roman; Size (Text): 12 pt, Line Spacing:1.5

- Heading font/size (Times New Roman, 14 pt, Bold)

-Subheading font/size (Times New Roman, 13 pt, Bold/Italic)

- Footnotes Font Size: 10 pt, Line Spacing: 1 (Only for citation of any image/ empirical data)

- Margins: 1 inch on all sides

- Alignment: Justified

- Paper Size: A4

- Paragraph Alignment: Justified

- Paragraph Spacing: 0 pt before and after

- Page Numbers: Not required

Citation Style- Submissions must strictly conform to the OSCOLA (4th Edition) citation style. Authors are encouraged to ensure consistency and accuracy in citations.

- No abstract is required.

- The manuscript must be original and unpublished.

- Simultaneous submissions are discouraged. If the manuscript is accepted elsewhere before the review process concludes, authors must promptly inform the Editorial Board.

- Co-authorship of up to two authors is permitted.

- Authors should avoid any identifying information within the manuscript to facilitate a fair review process.

- The manuscript should be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx) format.

- Authors are responsible for the accuracy of facts, citations, and references.

- Author details (name, institutional affiliation, designation, email address, and contact number) shall be provided in a separate cover page.

- The Editorial Board reserves the right to make minor editorial changes relating to grammar, formatting, and style.

- The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject submissions that do not conform to the submission guidelines or fall outside the scope of the newsletter.

- Submissions must be original.

- A similarity index exceeding 10% (excluding properly cited quotations and references) may lead to desk rejection.

- Any form of plagiarism or academic misconduct shall result in immediate rejection.

Submission Deadline: 30^th September 2026

Authors are requested to submit their manuscripts through the submission form.

For any queries, authors may contact the Editorial Board of the Centre for Poverty and Access to Justice, National Law University Odisha.

Email- cpaj@nluo.ac.in